Volunteer in Chile as a TEFL teacher

Opening the door to the North

The warmth of the sun on my skin made me feel a little more alive again. Though I can I acknowledge I have absolutely nothing to complain about, I had noticed some of the pressure I was placing on myself to ensure everything was perfect (which it never is, is it?), and after being around other people constantly for 3 weeks, waking up next to a different room full of people every day, and being thrown between being boiling hot to freezing cold in the same hour, I was ready to treat myself to some warm weather and beautiful scenery. Having already interviewed plenty of teachers in Chile that were part of the ESL schooling community, I decided it would be beneficial to find a voluntary teaching organisation in Chile. I remember looking into voluntary programs when I decided that teaching English as a foreign language was what I wanted to do, and can imagine a lot of teachers would like to feel as though they are making a difference as well as gaining a lot of beneficial teaching experience.

The English Opens Doors Program is a volunteer initiative facilitated by the Chilean Ministry of Education. The aim of the program is to improve the level of English for students in Chile’s public schools. The volunteers that they recruit are native or near-native English speakers who work to improve the student’s listening and speaking skills. As part of the program, the volunteers are placed in host families where they have the chance to practise their Spanish whilst also sharing their English skills.

I interviewed two teachers from the program on a Saturday. One of the teachers, Edward Kendall, was staying in the neighbouring town Coquimbo. We arranged to meet in the main plaza, which seemed easy enough as Coquimbo is such a small town. When I arrived to find Ed the plaza was overtaken by a parade of Disney characters, cheering on children on stage taking part in some sort of show. It was extraordinary and extremely entertaining to watch - especially when a band of about 15 people on the drums joined the show and really got the energy going. It was all just so extremely South American - energetic and fun and family orientated.

It turned out that Ed is actually from a town in the same area as mine back in the UK. As soon as he said it I could recognise the familiarity of his personality. His calm, warm manner is clearly something that enables him to be successful amongst his students and with young people in general. Ed went on to tell me about his previous experience of working with teenagers for a few years previously in summer camps - which he thoroughly enjoyed and thinks really helped prepare him for his role with The EODP. Both teachers told me that the English Opens Doors Program was one above the rest because they felt like they could make a difference without having to stretch themselves financially - as is the case with so many voluntary programs. I met Rufus later that afternoon back in La Serena. To me, it felt like Rufus and I had been friends for years (the feeling might not be mutual!), and so was a perfect atmosphere to conduct an interview and really get to understand what brought him to work with the EODP and what advice he could offer to other people.

I can imagine from Rufus’s infectious, lively, positive attitude just how popular he is amongst his students. Having been born and lived his whole life in Nigeria, previously working as a banker, he applied to the English Opens Doors Program because he wanted to travel, immerse himself in a different culture, and most importantly, feel like he was making some sort of difference. To me, Rufus bears everything an ideal teacher should - passion, interest, the willingness to learn and always be better than before, acceptance and the goal to understand and attend to each of his students’ needs. As the EODP focuses on developing the speaking and listening skills of the students as opposed to grammatical or theoretical approaches, Rufus explained it allows him to be flexible in his teaching approach, therefore encouraging students to become more engaged and interested in learning English. (On a personal note, Rufus’s Nigerian nationality and his position as an English teacher in La Serena gave him a somewhat celebrity status. Numerous times he has been stopped in the street, asked for autographs and even been the host of a large ceremony in La Serena. Rufus cannot imagine why he has attracted so much attention but I imagine his larger than life laugh and personality, love of life and people and overall positive outlook on life definitely helps.

The English Opens Doors Program only asks its volunteers to pay for their flights and then they take care of the rest. That includes the training and accommodation in Santiago and expenses to your host family. Both Ed and Rufus told me that staying with a host family was a big part of them making their decision - they wanted to improve their level of Spanish whilst simultaneously getting as involved as possible in the local community and Chilean culture. As with any job, it is important to be sure and have educated yourself on where you are going and what your responsibilities will be. Like any teaching job, it can be challenging, and there is the possibility of those days where you aren’t quite sure what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and who is appreciating it. But, like anything, it's the glimmer of those incredible moments, some that may last just a second or two, which make every single bit of time and hard work dedicated, worth it. If you want something exciting, challenging and satisfying, in the longest, one of the most diverse, beautiful countries in the world, then in the words of Mr Rufus - "DO IT.”

Find out more about the English Open Doors Program by clicking here